We’ve all heard the term, “Seeing is believing.” We’ll it ain’t necessarily so, in this case anyway. In a conversation with one of my associates the other day we happened to be discussing vacuum cleaners, especially the new, see through kind that you can actually view the dirt going into the container. This is great for looking at how much dirt and debris is being lifted off the floor but it also has a very negative down side as far as new carpet is concerned. Consumers are filing complaints based on the fact that they can see a bunch of carpet fiber filling up these see through containers. It bothers them that their carpet is coming apart, so they think because they can see little pieces of it before their eyes amassing in the dirt container.

Normally with a new cut pile carpet, there is always going to be some fiber that will come off, this is called shedding. This will occur for a couple of reasons, first the surface of all cut pile carpet is sheared and there is always going to be tiny pieces of fiber that fall down into the carpet that will be lifted up when the consumer vacuums. Most of this will happen when the carpet is new and it should diminish. Second, if the yarn is made from a spun staple fiber, short pieces of fiber can be vacuumed up indefinitely just by the very nature of the yarn make up. If the yarn is wool it too will shed indefinitely, even if it is a loop pile, because all wool yarn is staple, made from short lengths of fiber. The third issue could be relative to an actual manufacturing defect. If there is inadequate latex penetration and fiber lock, the fiber may slip out of the yarn bundle and be vacuumed up and this can happen with spun or continuous filament yarn. This will generally load up the container on the vacuum cleaner. The surface of the carpet will also exhibit a fuzzing and possibly pilling condition. This is not normal and most often this is a manufacturing defect.

With older type vacuum cleaners the bags were closed and not see through so unless the vacuum cleaner was clogged up from fiber coming off the carpet small amounts of fiber was not seen and therefore no complaints were created. Now that consumers can actually see what goes into the dirt container, which is a good thing, when it fills with carpet fiber it’s not so good for you.

How do you deal with this? Well, it’s not difficult because all new cut pile carpet will shed to varying degrees depending on the yarn type, size (meaning diameter) and length. The more yarn there is the more fiber will shed. Shedding is normal and some of it should be expected. It’s just like some dogs shed more than others, it is an inherent characteristic. So some fiber in the vacuum cleaner dirt container could always be present over the life of the carpet but it doesn’t mean the carpet is going bald. If however, the vacuum cleaner dirt container and the hoses of the vacuum cleaner plug up, then you obviously have a problem with the carpet. This will not only alarm the consumer but it will also signify that you most likely have a defective carpet on your hands that will instigate the filing of a claim.

Normal shedding, which will yield some relatively small amount of carpet fiber in every vacuum cleaner bag or clear container, should be expected. As we said earlier, a new cut pile carpet will always shed some fiber and it will diminish over time but nevertheless, depending on certain variables, a minimal amount can continue indefinitely. This is very similar to darker, heavier colors on carpet washing off during a water extraction cleaning. This too may alarm the consumer. The new, brand name, home carpet cleaning machines have clear plastic bodies that will show the dirt being sucked up. They may also show color going into the waste recovery tank as well. This is not unusual to see especially with heavy reds, blues, browns, oranges, etc. All of the color on post dyed carpet may not have fixed on the yarn so some of it can wash off. This is not a defect and it does not mean the carpet color is going to wash out completely. Heavy dark colors in carpet will do this the same as they will on clothing. This would be very noticeable if you hand washed blue jeans or a bright red sweat shirt for example. When they’re done in a washing machine the dye that comes off isn’t seen. Most carpet doesn’t get washed that often for this to be a problem. If color from the carpet is coming off on white socks or the white poodle this would indicate a problem with the carpet relative to colorfastness and dye stability.

You have to be aware of changes that occur outside the industry that could affect the products you sell. Very soon there will be a place you can go to get the information you need to be more knowledgeable about things like this. In the meantime you should buy my new book “Floorcovering: Problems to Profits” it’s loaded with information that will help you become more successful and profitable.